Billy Graham: God calls us to love others as much as ourselves

Q: My uncle says he’s going to stop giving to his church because he doesn’t think they ought to be spending some of their budget on churches and people in other countries. Is he right to think this way, or is he just being a tightwad? — K.G.S.

A: I don’t know whether or not he’s being a tightwad, but I do know he isn’t looking at the way his church uses its money from God’s point of view. God is pleased when we aren’t interested only in ourselves and our needs, but are concerned also about the needs of others.

I couldn’t help but think of how the early Christians might have answered your question. Most of them were very poor; some had even lost almost everything they owned because their families or friends turned against them when they became Christians. And yet when they heard about a famine that was affecting people in a distant part of the world, they gave generously to help them. So should we.

Remember: Jesus Christ left heaven’s glory and sacrificed His life for our salvation. He did this out of love — and He calls on us to have that same kind of love for others. Pray for your uncle — and be an example to him by your own giving and concern.

We live in a very materialistic, self-centered age — and even those of us who are Christians can be infected by its attitudes. But God calls us to love others just as much as we love ourselves — and to show our love in concrete ways. The Bible says, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.... God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

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Q: Our daughter came home from college the other day and announced she’d moved in with her boyfriend. She knows what the Bible says about this, but she doesn’t care. We didn’t raise her this way and she knows we don’t approve, but what can we do? — Mrs. W.W.

A: It’s hard for parents to watch their children make wrong decisions, and of course, we need to do what we can to steer them in the right direction. But as they grow older we have less and less control over them. That’s why there may be very little you can do to persuade your daughter to change her mind about this.

But there is one thing you can do now that could be very important in the future — and that’s to let your daughter know that although you disagree with her decision, you still love her, and you always will. Relationships like this often don’t last, because there’s no real commitment behind them. And if this relationship ends, your daughter could be very hurt — and she’ll need your love and support.

Do you remember Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son? (You can read it in Luke 15:11-32.) At first, everything seemed to be going his way; he probably laughed when he recalled his father’s warnings. But then everything changed, and he was left with nothing. Undoubtedly, his father had assured him of his love — and with this memory in his mind he decided to return home. When he did, the father joyously welcomed him. “‘This son of mine was dead and is alive again....’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:24).

Pray for your daughter; God loves her, and He can bring her to her senses. In the meantime, let her know you still love her, even if you disagree with the decision she’s made.